David P. Gavin, MD

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Gavin is a psychiatrist with an interest in studying gene regulatory mechanisms in psychosis. He graduated with honors from the University of Chicago with a BA degree in Biology and a specialization in Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology. He earned an MD degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He remained at the University of Illinois at Chicago during his psychiatry residency training where he participated in the Adult Psychiatry Neuroscience Research Track.

His research involves studying epigenetic mechanisms using both clinical models, such as patient peripheral blood cells, and basic models, such as cultured mouse neurons. One aim of this research is to translate findings of gene regulatory abnormalities in schizophrenia into clinically useful tools to predict treatment response and develop novel therapeutics. This research has been presented at several international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Interests:Elucidating factors that control gene expression as they relate to cognition and perception. The ultimate goal of these projects is the rapid application of basic scientific findings to diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment use in patients.